Being the Rainbow Through the Storm Clouds By Kimberly Guillot Thibeaux
I first heard of the notion of toxic positivity within the last 5 years. I had to really sit with it for a bit and then I realized that I have experienced it many times. I noticed it when loved ones would say the things to “help” alleviate emotional upset without hearing the situation at hand in its entirety. The way that I understand the concept of toxic positivity is disregarding the feelings that someone is experiencing about a certain life obstacle by saying things like “You will get over this”, “See the good in everything”, and “Everything happens for a reason.” While I believe every one of the previous statements, there truly is a time and place for them to be therapeutic. Saying these statements prematurely to get through the discomfort of someone going through a tough time can be counterproductive for the attempted supportive exchange for both you and that person. Once the person is heard and seen, then these statements can be supportive, but only after allowing the person to express, process the difficulties, and simply feel out the funkiness that comes with certain life obstacles. There is something spiritually imperative for two humans to connect through authentic compassion and support. Recently I saw a vibrant rainbow cut through a bundle of storm clouds. For me, that is a visual of this type of connection. No matter the size of the storm when two people connect therapeutically to heal, a rainbow of goodness is felt. This compassion can be as small as making eye contact and sharing a smile with a stranger having a visibly rough moment to something as great as hugging a loved one tight through a traumatic time. Being mindful of well-intended statements and actions can really magnify their therapeutic benefits. Happy Healing, Holistic Nurse Kim For individualized support: kurmaholistics.net 337-534-0111 Thibeaux is the owner & founder of Kurma Holistics A Nursing Approach. Thibeaux is a Board Certified Holistic Registered Nurse (registered Nurse of 8 years), Therapeutic Yoga Instructor, and Certified Acupressure Practitioner. Kurma is a Health & Wellness facility with a Holistic Nurse’s twist. The vision is to facilitate your growth to become a wealthier you, by implementing simple soul-utions for the difficulties in life.
